A Challenging Seduction
by WindAndWaterAlchemist
Summary: Naraku gives Kagura an order to do the seemingly impossible...seduce Sesshoumaru! Will NOT include graphic sex, but may get a twinge mature...tell me if you think it should be rated higher.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The premise for this story is that, after he was nearly defeated by Sesshoumaru and InuYasha (after kidnapping Rin and attempting to absorb Sesshoumaru), Naraku did not go to Mt. Hakurei, but instead fled to someplace else and hid himself behind another of his barriers, making it hard to find him, but not so hard as it would be if he were in Mt. Hakurei's sacred barrier. Thus he is still threatened by InuYasha, Kikyo, Sesshoumaru, etc.**

**It seems to be specifically my "In Another Time" muse that has fled me, so while that story is on hiatus, pending her return or the discovery of a better one, I'm exercising my many other muses, lol. Besides, Kagura and Sesshoumaru are actually my favorite pairing. Sesshoumaru is fairly OOC in this one…I'm sort of exploring a different take on him, I guess. **

**I decided to try out MediaMiner and posted two chapters of this there, but I don't think I like that site as much as this one, so I'm posting it here now. **

Kagura perched on the rail of the porch, taking in the gloomy scenery. Leave it to Naraku to find such a dreary place to run to. The house was small and battered, formerly the residence of some human hermit. It was built high on the slope of a mountain, and for a great distance below, there was nothing but craggy rock and short, unhealthy trees. From the bottom of the mountain, the building could not even be seen, tucked away among the rocks and brush. A good hiding place, but hardly pleasant. Kagura contemplated waving a huge red flag in the hopes that someone on Naraku's growing list of enemies would track them down and kill the jerk.

Said jerk was currently sitting in a corner of the room, Kanna kneeling before him, looking into her mirror. In another corner, Kohaku sat, staring into empty nothingness. They were all so quiet that Kagura may as well be the only one alive in the room…though she too was silent, granted not even the sound of her own heartbeat.

"Kagura."

She started at the sound of Naraku's voice, and turned to find him smirking at her reaction.

"Yeah?"

"I have a job for you."

"What is it now?"

"Sesshoumaru now has more cause to hunt me down. He is the most potentially dangerous of my enemies, and the most likely to track me here."

"Yeah, so? It's your own fault. Even after whatever you did to him before I was around, he wasn't really hunting you. Then you just had to go and make me kidnap that kid, and try to absorb him to boot. What do you want me to do about it?"

"Seduce him."

She actually felt her jaw drop at that. She was momentarily certain she'd heard wrong…but the look on Naraku's face, the almost-laughter in his eyes; these things confirmed that her hearing was as good as ever.

"_What_?! What on earth makes you think I would do that?! And even if I would, what makes you think I _could_?! I don't know if you've noticed, but Sesshoumaru isn't exactly hot-blooded. And besides, what good would it do you?"

"First off, you have no choice. You _will_ attempt it. If you fail, you will be punished. Sesshoumaru is attracted to you, cold or not. And I do not merely want you to seduce him. I want you to make him care for you. Then he will not attack me, fearing I would harm you in retribution."

She laughed.

"Where did you get the idea that's he's attracted to me? Besides, even if he cared at all, Sesshoumaru's not the type to let emotion get in the way of his goals. He'd still kill you, even if I had to die in the process."

"Stop arguing, Kagura, and go. Or would you prefer to stay, and feel pain?"

She didn't respond, just pulled a feather from her hair and let it carry her down the mountain. Stupid Naraku. Would he truly reduce her to so little, to hardly more than a harlot? Obviously he would. Of course, it was hardly surprising that he would attempt to trade her body for his pathetic life. He was a coward, beneath all the evil. Fortunately for her, the potential customer for his bargaining was hardly going to be willing. Not that she honestly would have minded doing something with Sesshoumaru…she'd been attracted to him from the first time she'd laid eyes on him…it was merely the method that was distasteful. Would Naraku kill her for failing to do the impossible? Perhaps. And she valued her life too much to defy him. She would try her hardest…she just had very little faith that it would work. She could only hope that an honest attempt would stay Naraku's hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Sesshoumaru sat on a large stone, staring into the fire. Rin's even breathing assured him that there were no nightmares of wolves plaguing her tonight. Jaken kept muttering in his sleep, irritatingly. One of Ah-Un's heads was sleeping; the other was staring up into the sky. It was peaceful, a pleasant change from the chaotic events of late.

He considered sleeping; which was something he occasionally did by choice, not by necessity. He did not need sleep, but he tended to feel more alert and content after a night of rest. Still, he did not like the lack of alertness that sleep brought, so he preferred to remain awake. And seeing as how the night was calm and peaceful, he got nearly as much rest simply from sitting and thinking as he would from sleep.

He became aware of Naraku's scent, coming closer, and momentarily tensed, laying his hand on Tokijin's hilt; but he had learned to read the subtle differences in scent between Naraku and his "daughter", so he realized quickly who it was. He rose and met the eyes of Ah-Un's alert head, silently signaling for the dragon to guard the camp, before he walked towards the scent.

Kagura was sitting in a tree some fifty yards from the camp, chin rested in her palm, staring into the darkness, apparently lost in thought. Her thin brows were drawn down over her eyes, and she seemed to be internally debating with herself. He wondered if perhaps she had been sent to attack him and was weighing her chances of victory and considering asking him for help again rather than obeying her orders.

"Kagura."

She started slightly, but then gracefully leapt down from her perch to stand before him. For some inexplicable reason he noticed her feet. He couldn't quite comprehend why anyone would choose to go barefoot constantly, like Rin and Kagura did. Surely they often scraped or bruised their feet? Yet Rin had promptly lost any footwear he provided for her, and Kagura seemed completely content barefoot as well.

She normally seemed at no loss for words, but now she was silent, and she kept looking up at him almost…shyly? Shyness was hardly a normal trait for Kagura. It seemed to Sesshoumaru that Naraku was most definitely up to something.

"What brings you here, Kagura?"

"Naraku sent me."

He set his hand on Tokijin's hilt again, preparing for the possibility that she had been sent to fight him and might actually obey, if Naraku had threatened her enough.

Her scent was strange. She seemed nervous, uncertain, and…mildly aroused? He wondered what exactly was going on in her head. Somehow, her nervousness was appealing…the way she bit her lip drew attention to her mouth, and the way she kept twirling her closed fan made him notice her long, pale fingers. Still, noticing her attractive features was nothing new, he had been well aware of her beauty and allure from their first meeting. It did not make any difference; she was still Naraku's offspring.

He was startled when she suddenly pulled out her feather and took to the skies. He watched her go, puzzled, before returning to the camp, wondering what her purpose had been in coming. It was certainly his strangest encounter with her yet.


	3. Chapter 3

"Really Kagura, I've never seen you so nervous. I hope you don't think that pathetic, awkward meeting counts as an attempt at seduction."

"Shut up, Naraku. It's your fault. How do you expect me to manage anything, knowing you're watching everything I do through Kanna's mirror? Get rid of the mirror, and maybe I'll be able to get into it. Spying on someone is _not _a good way to encourage romantic mood."

"Who said anything about romantic mood or you 'getting into it'? I said for you to seduce him, not fall in love with him. I want _him _in love with you, not the other way around."

"Yeah, yeah. But I'm not an actor…the more I can pretend it's just a normal situation, the better I can do this. I've always flirted with him, it's always come naturally…and you're stifling the flow with your spying!"

"Alright. I will not watch through the mirror. But do not think you will be able to betray me through this lack of surveillance. My insects will follow you."

"Whatever. Just make sure they stay far back, or Sesshoumaru'll get mad about them."

………

What on earth was that baffling woman up to? For three days now she'd been hovering around nearby, following them, but never showing herself. It was irritating, not in the least because she was constantly giving off that strange, nervous and yet almost aroused scent that was strangely exciting. It called to something feral in Sesshoumaru, something that wanted to hunt, to track Kagura down and snatch her and…He pulled his thoughts from that path and sighed quietly, listening to Jaken rambling to Rin.

"…and then Sesshoumaru-sama, naturally, killed them all singlehandedly and within a moment…"

Sesshoumaru privately winced at the term "singlehandedly". Must he be so literal? Jaken was such an annoyance. He found his thoughts drifting away from the obnoxious droning and back to Kagura. She was some half a mile away, on her feather, probably, since her scent was falling from above. What was her purpose? It suddenly occurred to him that perhaps she meant to lead him to Naraku, but could not say so aloud for fear of Naraku's insects following her and listening. He could sense them about a mile away, probably following Kagura, at such a distance so as to attempt to keep her unaware of their presence. Deciding to follow up on this idea, he stopped and turned around.

"Jaken, I'm leaving. Tend to Rin. I will attempt to return shortly, but if I do not come back within a few days, make camp somewhere safe and await me."

"B-but my lord! Might I not serve you better by accompanying…" Jaken trailed off at the look Sesshoumaru gave him. "Yes my lord, I will tend to Rin."

"Good. Rin, behave yourself."

She beamed brightly.

"Yes Sesshoumaru-sama!"

He leapt into the air and flew towards where he could scent Kagura. He hadn't expected that the moment he could see her, a dot in the distance, she would move. Suddenly, her feather moved quickly into the nearby forest, as if she were a spooked rabbit. Did she think he was going to attack her? Puzzled, he landed and moved into the forest. He could see her standing in the branch of a tree, leaning against the trunk, arms crossed…smiling?

He walked towards her, but when he got close again, she suddenly vanished in a swirl of wind and reappeared again quite a lot farther into the woods, a speck of pale color against the greenery. He growled, annoyed. What was she up to? Was she attempting to lead him to Naraku this way? Surely she could think of a less annoying way to manage it?

He wasn't going to keep following her like this. Instead, he moved towards her in a blur of superhuman speed, intending to stop her and speak with her before she could move again. Much to Sesshoumaru's surprise, Kagura seemed to anticipate the move, and was gone again. He could feel his Inu instincts rising, thrilling at the prospect of a chase, a hunt. His claws lengthened and his fangs elongated. Irritably, he reminded his more feral side that, chase or not, he had no intention of killing the woman and hardly needed these extra weapons. The voice is his head was clear enough to be an entire other person; something which very rarely happened, only when he and his feral spirit were at odds.

_Oh? If not the claws and fangs then, perhaps this is a different sort of chase? _

He was suddenly all too aware of her scent, of the hints of arousal mixed in with tension and nervousness. Why _did _she smell that way? Granted, he was used to her reacting to him with desire; he'd been well aware of her interest in him from their first meeting. But Kagura rarely smelled of nervousness, unless discussing Naraku. If Naraku was not in the picture, Kagura was generally very confident. So why this discomfort and strange excitement on her part now? He cursed himself for his own reaction to the scent, for the arousal that he could not deny no matter how he wished to.

_Stop thinking so much and _feel_. She is a willing female, begging to be chased. Stop fighting your nature. _

_No thank you. Thinking is more in my nature than mindless rutting. _

_Feel free to delude yourself for the moment._

He hated yelling, it was beneath him to shout for someone's attention…but in this case, it was the lesser of two evils.

"Kagura, what is the purpose behind this nonsense?"

She was only ten or so trees away, standing high up among the branches, tapping her closed fan against her smirking lips. He considered leaping for her again, but decided against it, not liking the indignity of repeatedly trying to catch up with her and failing.

There was a sudden rush of wind, and before he could contemplate what she was up to now, she suddenly appeared on the branch he was standing on, and shocked him by pressing herself flush up against his body. He reacted without thinking, jerking back quickly, and nearly fell off the branch, amazed by his own sudden lack of composure. That reaction was more like something InuYasha would do than Sesshoumaru. Kagura laughed; a warm, melodious sound that made his heart pound. Dammit, what was she doing to him? He hadn't felt this confused since his youth, long ago…aroused and clumsy and somehow thrilled by her very presence. It was like his first experience with a woman all over again.

All of a sudden she was gone completely in a whoosh of wind, entirely gone from the area; he could not sense her anywhere nearby. Aggravated, he leapt down from the tree and returned to Jaken, who seemed very puzzled by his returning so soon, but had the sense not to mention it.


	4. Chapter 4

Kagura was feeling very proud of herself and actually somewhat giddy. Perhaps this was not as impossible as she'd first thought.

She'd risked her life annoying Sesshoumaru, moving away whenever he approached her in the woods; there had been the possibility she might push it too far and end up impaled on Tokijin or a set of deadly claws…but in the end, her hunch had been right, and the risk had paid off. She had had a hunch that his feral instincts would enjoy a chase; though in this too she ran the risk of being viewed as prey. She'd spent the entire time purposely thinking the most deliciously lewd thoughts she could come up with in an attempt to leak desire into her scent. It seemed to have worked perfectly. When she'd pressed herself against him, she'd been perfectly able to feel his arousal; and as if that undeniable fact wasn't enough, the hilariously out-of-character way he'd reacted, jumping away like a nervous adolescent and nearly falling from the tree, clearly showed that he was affected by the whole thing.

Naraku's order was nearly forgotten by now. She was too delighted by the possibility that she might actually be capable of making Sesshoumaru _feel _to think much about the original cause of this venture. Still, the hovering insects Naraku had sent kept pulling her to remember her job. Nevertheless…she was enjoying this, and enjoying anything Naraku told her to do was rare indeed. She supposed she ought to savor it while she could, before he changed his mind and sent her off to do something more distasteful.

She was surprised by the thrill she got at having Sesshoumaru almost chasing her. It was an interesting mix of almost-fear and excitement. It was like standing on a cliff, looking over the edge, delighting at the view and yet well aware of the danger. She wanted to do it again, to see the strange mixture of confusion and anger and lust brewing in those normally unreadable golden eyes.

She was considering things now that she hadn't really thought of before, hoping where before she hadn't dared. She had been well aware of Sesshoumaru's good attributes from their first meeting; his utterly beautiful features, his immense power, his deep, smooth voice…she'd been attracted to him from the beginning, but it never would have truly even crossed her mind that she might have a chance for anything with him. He was too cold, too dignified, too…well, too snobbish, really. Now, she felt like she had a chance, and the knowledge was elating. She'd caught the barest glimpse of another Sesshoumaru, one affected by instinct and emotion…and she wanted to see more of that other side...

………

InuYasha and his misfit group of companions were nearby, and Sesshoumaru was not in the mood to torment his brother, so he headed the opposite direction. Rin was singing quietly, something about Jaken looking like a frog, which was rather amusing. He could practically feel the imp seething; undoubtedly building up to a fit of screeching that would have Rin in peals of childish laughter.

It was strange how much affection Sesshoumaru bore towards his companions, though he would never admit to it. Jaken was something like a pet…and Rin...Rin was special. Rin had taken his ice-coated heart and melted out a spot just big enough for her to fit in, and strangely, he didn't hate himself for loving her. The only problem was that loving one thing made it easier to love others, as though warmth spread out from her place in his heart and began slowly thawing the rest of it. He didn't like that, didn't like the new reactions, didn't like the way he hesitated to kill InuYasha, or the way his heartbeat insisted on speeding up when Kagura smiled. Loving Rin was not inconvenient, except for the times when he needed to rescue her from one thing or another. Loving Rin was not troublesome, like beginning to feel brotherly affection towards the hanyou he'd spent years trying to kill, or feeling attracted to the offspring of his enemy. Loving Rin was like loving a child of his own; a warm, pleasant feeling with no particular repercussions. Loving others was not so simple and certainly not something he welcomed the thought of.

It had been three days since that irritating woman showed up, for whatever obscure purpose, apparently simply to annoy him. It aggravated him that he kept half-hoping she'd come again. She'd been so strange and tempting…He sighed, deriding himself for such thoughts, such weaknesses. Such inner turmoil was nothing new, though this was a new topic for it. He was actually a very emotional being; it was simply in his nature as an Inu. He sometimes watched dogs follow their masters around, panting and adoring and begging and whining, and inwardly cringed at his relation to them. His icy veneer was carefully constructed and difficult to maintain, and beneath it swirled a great deal of feeling, which could occasionally slip through his control and become visible to others, something he privately dreaded. He'd felt a lot of things behind his wall of ice; anger, sorrow, lust, the father-to-child love he felt for Rin…but Kagura was the first to evoke this strange, unwelcome new emotion. Simple lust, he could handle; ignore, or perhaps even satisfy, if it were only that. But there was more to it, and he was uncomfortable with that knowledge. He'd reacted like a clumsy teenager when she'd pressed herself against him; his heart seemingly in his throat, his body excited, his mind rushing with a million different thoughts. No woman he'd ever shared a bed with had made him react that way, not since his first some several hundred years back. He didn't like how he felt concerned for her, worried that Naraku would harm her. He didn't like how he wanted to see her again. He didn't like feeling anything for her, period.

"Sesshoumaru-sama, Jaken tripped."

He turned and found his imp retainer sprawled out on the ground sporting a sizeable lump on his forehead. The sight made a tiny smirk touch Sesshoumaru's lips. Jaken was an endless source of amusement, not that he'd admit to the secret laughter the creature provided.

"Get up, Jaken. You're slowing us down."

Jaken leapt up immediately, bowing profusely and apologizing while Sesshoumaru internally snickered. He turned away and began walking again, wondering where Naraku had hidden himself.


	5. Chapter 5

Rin and Jaken had left to find food for the girl, taking Ah-Un with them, and Sesshoumaru was left alone to think, which he wasn't sure he appreciated. He preferred to avoid introspection whenever possible…there were too many things he disapproved of going on in his mind. Old sorrow for his father, guilt over his abandonment of and attempts at killing his brother, too many emotions bordering on human.

He found a tall tree and a suitably wide branch and settled down, crossing his legs and closing his eyes, relishing the near silence. Despite that he enjoyed his companions' presence, and despite his annoyance with his own inner turmoil, he did enjoy the quiet. The day was sunny and warm, but the trees provided enough cover to keep the light and heat from being too extreme, and the forest was peaceful without being unnaturally quiet. There were birds chirping and leaves rustling in the breeze, and his strong hearing picked up the sounds of small forest creatures crawling around in the underbrush below. There were a pair of mating foxes nearby, and he wrinkled his nose slightly at the scent, which struck him as acidic and unpleasant. A squirrel scurried up the trunk and perched on the branch beneath him, eyeing him curiously. Squirrels were too curious for their own good; always being killed by predators because they didn't know what was good for him. Most animals steered clear of Sesshoumaru, instinctively understanding his power. Not this creature. Amused, he reached his hand out to it very slowly, and managed to touch its soft head with one finger before it suddenly dashed higher up into the tree and began screeching down at him.

It quieted down after a few moments, and he leaned back against the trunk, not quite dozing, one eye half open, all of his senses still alert and ready to detect any trouble coming. The wind picked up slightly and whisked a strand of hair into his face; he pushed it away and seriously considered going to sleep for a little while. Then the wind blew the other direction, this time landing a larger portion of his hair in his face. Irritated, and knowing full well that the wind was unlikely to naturally change directions so fast, he pulled hair from his face and glared downwind, assuming that was where she must be hiding since he hadn't scented her.

"Kagura, I know you're there."

She surprised him. She came from the opposite direction, apparently appearing from nowhere, walking calmly through the forest a few yards away; mischief written across her face. What had gotten into her lately? He was beginning to wonder about the stability of her mental state. And how had she been there without him noticing?

"Yo, Sesshoumaru! What happened, did you lose the kid and the frog?"

He leapt easily down, and, attempting to make her feel uneasy, landed quite close to her. She recoiled slightly in surprise, and at first he thought he had regained the upper hand in this odd game she was playing, but then she regained her confidence and smiled at him, wicked amusement glittering in those unique red eyes.

"What, now that we're alone you wanna get close to me?"

Startled by her forwardness, and admonishing himself for being startled, knowing he should be used to it by now, he stepped back slightly and frowned at her.

"What is your purpose in coming so often lately? If you wish to say something, speak and be done with it. The first time you said Naraku had sent you. Does he wish you to challenge me?"

She gave him a strange look, coy, rubies peering up from beneath long dark lashes.

"You could say that."

Infuriating woman. What did Naraku create her for anyway? She looked more like a courtesan than a warrior. Perhaps the secret lay in that; who would think this beautiful and unnervingly tempting woman was capable of massacring an entire tribe of armed demon wolves with nothing more than a fan at her disposal? Her power lay in her beauty, perhaps.

He was suddenly aware of the fact that he still could not smell her. He could smell everything else in the forest, but not her? How had she hidden her scent, and why? She was the most confusing, aggravating woman he'd ever met.

"Speak clearly, woman. Why were you sent?"

He never could quite understand what happened then. All he knew was hot, sweet lips beneath his; a warm, curved body against his; and then her scent suddenly appeared, all in one devastating rush, drenched with the utterly intoxicating scent of desire. All thoughts fled, his emotions went mad, and the only clear thing left in his head was the voice of his other side.

_That's more like it! _

She pulled away, gasping for breath. There was blood running down from her swollen lips, and he was fuzzily aware that he'd cut her with his fangs. He licked the blood away, savoring the taste of it.

_Careful with those fangs, we mustn't hurt her. Not more than she likes, at least. _

Ignoring that comment, Sesshoumaru found himself oddly absorbed in the sounds Kagura made. A strange sound, half gasp and half laugh, when he drew his tongue down her neck. A moan when he returned to her mouth, insistently exploring. Interesting whining noises when he nipped along the line of her chin, careful now not to break the skin. A whimpering sigh when he ran his hands down her body lightly, hesitating to really touch, held back by whatever shred of sanity was left to him.

Somehow or another, he managed to reclaim his scattered wits, much to the displeasure of his feral side, and stepped away from her, trying not to acknowledge the scent of her want or the desire pounding through his own body. He breathed deeply through his mouth, aware of the faint taste of blood still lingering on his tongue. Kagura was leaning against a tree, panting, a long line of red marks blossoming down her neck, grinning like she'd just accomplished the impossible. Come to think of it, she essentially had. No one made him lose control that much, that easily.

"Sesshoumaru…"

She was suddenly at his side, close, looking up at him with fake concern while her eyes sparkled with delight and mischief and lust. He sighed heavily.

"Kagura, what are you up to? I do not enjoy these games."

That infuriating smirk again. He could actually see small scrapes on her lips where his fangs had been. They didn't seem to faze her.

"Are you sure? You seemed to be enjoying it a minute ago."

He was sorely tempted to take her right there, on the ground or against a tree, not only because his body was practically screaming for it, but also to assert his dominance, to show her where insolence led. He was treading a dangerous line between fury and driving lust…and if she had any intelligence, she ought to leave before he did something regrettable.

He really shouldn't have expected her to do the smart thing. She seemed predisposed to risk taking. At least she shut her mouth, thank Kami…or at least shut it until she pressed her lips to his, then she was opening again, and he was accepting the invitation without thought, lost again in the sensations she brought.

"Sesshoumaru-sama!"

The call came from some distance away, and Sesshoumaru stepped back, internally debating whether to thank or kill Jaken for interrupting. The wind blew, and Kagura flew away on her feather, waving back at him with a big smile. Growling to himself, he realized he had Kagura's scent…Naraku's scent…all over him, and Jaken would undoubtedly notice, so he decided to let his retainer look for him while longer, and took off further into the forest to find a place to bathe…cold water would be welcome at this point for more reasons than one.


End file.
